Microsoft, Sony working to restore internet platforms

Microsoft and Sony have been working on restoring their internet platforms for their Xbox and PlayStation gamers' consoles, BBC reported. The online services were disabled by attacks on Christmas Day, which made it difficult for users to log on. A message on the Xbox status page today said that live core services were "up and running", even as PlayStation said its engineers were continuing to work on "network issues". A hacking group, called Lizard Squad claimed credit for the attack. The same group of hackers had targeted Sony in the past. Microsoft's Xbox system counts around 48 million subscribers and over double that for the PlayStation system, which had around 110 million. Players need to get online in order to reach the console manufacturers' computer servers to make the most of the Xbox and PlayStation consoles. People had been stopped from accessing a number of the core services, such as registering a new account, connecting with other people to play the same game and connecting to entertainment channels via the console. According to video games analyst Guy Coker, Xbox and PlayStation had been hit with a DDOS, or distributed denial of service attack, rather than more sophisticated attacks on Sony seen in the past. Meanwhile, The Hindu newspaper reported PlayStation Store Twitter feed stating today that some users had faced difficulties while logging into its network, adding, the issue was being investigated by engineers. ''We're aware that some users are having issues logging into PSN - engineers are investigating - PlayStation (@PlayStation) December 25, 2014'' According to a notice on the Xbox website, the company knew some users were having trouble signing in. ''We're aware of this issue, and we're working to find a fix ASAP!'', the notice added. Earlier this month the PlayStation store had also faced issues. The development came after a cyber attack on computer systems of Sony Pictures Entertainment ended up in the release of confidential information on the internet. In the Twitter account of Lizard Squad the hack group claimed responsibility for the attacks. Source: Article, Image